Road finishing machine or charger vehicle with pushing means for a material transfer process

ABSTRACT

A road-making machine is provided in the form of a road-finishing machine for producing a paving layer from a laying material or a charger vehicle for supplying the road-finishing machine with a laying material. The road-making machine comprises a material bunker, and a pushing means fixed forward of the material bunker at a chassis, such that pushing rollers of the pushing means may dock to rear tires of a truck. The pushing rollers comprise a pair of first pushing rollers mountable in a first position in a seat of a traverse of the pushing means. Either the pushing means is expandable by at least one changeable attachment to which the first pushing rollers may be mounted in a second position further forward with respect to the first position, or the pushing means comprises a pair of second pushing rollers which may be selectively positioned forward of the first pushing rollers.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims foreign priority benefits under 35 U.S.C. §119(a)-(d) to European patent application number EP 17182524.3, filedJul. 21, 2017, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a road finishing machine or a chargervehicle for a road finishing machine according to the preamble of claim1.

BACKGROUND

A road finishing machine for producing a paving layer from a layingmaterial and a charger vehicle for supplying the road finishing machinewith laying material to be laid each comprise a material bunker to storelaying material therein for their operation. The respective materialbunkers of the aforementioned automotive road making machines aresupplied with the laying material on site from trucks. The suppliedlaying material is poured from the trucks into the respective materialbunkers. For the material transfer process, the road finishing machineand the charger vehicle have, each in the front, forward of therespective material bunker, a pushing means to which a truck docksrearwards with its rear tires. The docking to the pushing means causesthe truck to be pushed in the front in an idle state at a predetermineddistance from the road finishing machine or the charger vehicle duringthe material transfer process.

EP 2 527 534 A1 and EP 0 667 415 A1 each disclose a road finishingmachine comprising, for the material transfer process, pushing means tothe pushing rollers of which rear tires of a truck may dock.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,955,754 A discloses a road finishing machine with apushing means fixed thereto and supporting a pair of pivoted pushingrollers. As a damping element, a hydraulic cylinder is employed for thepushing rollers.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,004,394 A discloses leaf spring-mounted, pivoted andhydraulically adjustable pushing rollers of a pushing means.

EP 2 295 641 A2 discloses a road finishing machine and a charger vehiclehaving pushing means whose pushing rollers are mounted to be adjustableby means of hydraulic cylinders.

DE 10 2011 120 161 A1, DE 20 2004 007 576 U1, and U.S. Pat. No.8,827,592 B2 each disclose a pushing means for a road finishing machinewhose traverse can be fixed to different positions at the chassis of theroad finishing machine.

It is a problem that for the material transfer process, trucks havingdifferently long rear dump body projections are employed worldwide, sothat docking to conventional pushing means is not always possible.

For trucks employed in the European market, pushing means that may bemounted to the chassis at different positions offset in the direction oftravel as a complete unit have been therefore sufficient due to thesmall dump body projections of the trucks. Due to their high weight,however, complete pushing means may be only relocated within limits.

For trucks having longer dump body projections, as they are employed incertain countries, however, the well-known pushing means are notsufficient to dock the pushing rollers fixed thereto to the rear tiresof such trucks. Accordingly, trucks having a dump body with anoverlength cannot be pushed along in the front by the road finishingmachine or the charger vehicle at a predetermined distance during thematerial transfer process. For dumping the laying material, it istherefore difficult to maintain the predetermined distance between thetruck and the following road finishing machine or charger vehicle as thetruck driver himself has to regulate the distance to the road finishingmachine or charger vehicle. The risk of a collision between the truckand the following road finishing machine or charger vehicle is therebyincreased.

SUMMARY

In view of the disadvantages resulting from prior art, it is the objectof the disclosure to equip a road finishing machine or a charger vehiclewith a pushing means that is suited to selectively dock both to a reartire of a truck having a short dump body projection and to a rear tireof a truck having a long dump body projection to push the respectivetrucks in front at a predetermined distance during a material transferprocess.

The disclosure relates to a road finishing machine for producing apaving layer from a laying material. The disclosure equally relates to acharger vehicle for supplying the road finishing machine with a layingmaterial to be laid.

The road finishing machine or the charger vehicle each comprise amaterial bunker for receiving the laying material arranged in the front,as viewed in the direction of travel, on a chassis of the road finishingmachine or the charger vehicle, and a pushing means for a materialtransfer process. The pushing means is fixed forward of the materialbunker, as viewed in the direction of travel, to the chassis such thatpushing rollers mounted thereto may dock to rear wheels of a truck whenthe truck is dumping the laying material into the material bunker of theroad finishing machine or the charger vehicle.

The pushing rollers include a pair of first pushing rollers to bemounted in at least one first position with respect to a traverse of thepushing means, as viewed along the direction of travel, in whichposition the first pushing rollers are fixed in a seat of the traverse.

According to the disclosure, either the pushing means is expandable bymeans of at least one changeable attachment at which the first pushingrollers may be mounted in the second position moved further to thefront, as viewed in the direction of travel, with respect to the firstposition, or else the pushing means comprises a further pair of secondpushing rollers which may be optionally placed in front of the firstpushing rollers, as viewed in the horizontal plane of projection.

At the pushing means, the changeable attachment may be optionallyemployed as an add-on piece at the traverse which may be arranged as acoupling member between the traverse and the first pushing rollers tosupport the pair of first pushing rollers moved further to the frontwith respect to their first position, so that for a material transferprocess, they may dock to the rear tires of a truck having a long dumpbody projection while laying material is being poured from the truck'sdump body into the material bunker of the road finishing machine or thecharger vehicle.

Thereby, even trucks having a long dump body projection may be pushedalong at a predetermined distance in front of the road finishing machineor the charger vehicle without any collision occurring between the truckand the road finishing machine or the charger vehicle. The layingmaterial may then be perfectly dumped from the truck into the materialbunker of the road finishing machine or the charger vehicle.

In the disclosure, the pushing means suitably forms a module that can beexpanded by the changeable attachment. Due to the modular structure,individual components of the pushing means may be combined into a wholein different ways in the disclosure. In particular, the pair of firstpushing rollers is embodied for being employed at the pushing means withand without the assembly of the changeable attachment. The changeableattachment is not provided as an integral part of the pushing means butcan be attached to the pushing means depending on the employment, i.e.,optionally as an expanded part.

A further advantage of embodiments of the disclosure is that not thecomplete pushing means has to be adjusted in order to relocate the pairof first pushing rollers to the front, as viewed in the direction oftravel. Moving forward the first pushing rollers by means of thechangeable attachment supporting them may therefore be performed withless efforts than in a case where the complete pushing means has to bedisplaced.

Preferably, the changeable attachment may be hung into the seat of thetraverse instead of the first pushing rollers. The seat of the traversemay be thereby optionally used either as a bearing for fixing the firstpushing rollers in their first position, or as a bearing for fixing thechangeable attachment. This dual function altogether favors the modularstructure of the pushing means and in particular ensures a compact andstandardized assembly of the pushing means. The pushing means thusoccupies, despite its advantageous adjusting facilities, a relativelysmall space forward of the material bunker.

Preferably, the changeable attachment comprises, for the pair of firstpushing rollers, a seat which is essentially embodied equally to theseat of the traverse for the first pushing rollers. A change of positionof the pushing rollers between the respective seats that can be carriedout swiftly and easily is then particularly easily possible. It wouldalso be possible that in the seat of the changeable attachment, afurther changeable attachment for supporting the first pushing rollersat a position even further to the front is optionally attachable.

According to an advantageous variation, the changeable attachment ispivoted at the traverse, in particular in the seat of the traverse. Itis particularly advantageous for the changeable attachment to be pivotedat the traverse between a first orientation, in which it is essentiallyoriented horizontally to mount the first pushing rollers in the secondposition, and a second orientation in which it is tipped up towards thematerial bunker and positions the pushing rollers supported at it abovethe traverse to adjust the pushing means for a transport of the roadfinishing machine or the charger vehicle.

Preferably, the changeable attachment is formed as a rigid body. Assuch, it in particular does not form a deformable elastic damper for thepushing rollers and as such neither causes any hydraulic or mechanicresilience. The shape of the changeable attachment does in particularnot change if rear tires of a truck dock to the pushing rollerssupported by it and the truck is, during the material transfer process,pushed along in front of the road finishing machine or the chargervehicle. The changeable attachment may thus maintain the respectivefirst pushing rollers at a fixed distance to the traverse of the pushingmeans. A collision of the truck, in particular its dump body, with theroad finishing machine or the charger vehicle may thus be prevented.

Preferably, the changeable attachment is assembled using a plurality ofmetallic plates. These may be, for example, welded to each other to forma rigid body for the changeable attachment. The changeable attachment isparticularly stable if it at least partially has a box-like shape.

Preferably, the changeable attachment supports the first pushing rollersin the second position that is, as viewed in a horizontal plane ofprojection and in the direction of travel, positioned further to thefront by a predetermined distance, in particular in a range between 250mm to 350 mm, than in a case where the first pushing rollers are mountedin the first position in the seat of the traverse. A distance of about300 mm showed to be particularly advantageous for the use with largertrucks in this respect. If the first pushing rollers are supported bymeans of the changeable attachment of the pushing means, these may dockto rear tires of a truck having a long dump body projection to push thetruck along at a predetermined distance in front of the road finishingmachine or the charger vehicle during an operation of dumping layingmaterial.

Preferably, the changeable attachment comprises a first and a secondattachment that may be fixed separately to the traverse one next to theother. For the two attachments, the seat of the traverse preferablyprovides a corresponding first and second bearing. The two bearings arepreferably designed such that the pair of first pushing rollers and therespective attachments may be exchangeably supported at them.

The respective attachments preferably have an identical design, so thatthey are mutually exchangeable for being fixed to the traverse, inparticular for being fixed in the respective bearings. By the changeableattachment consisting of separately formed attachments, the assembly ofthe attachments, whose weight is split, to the traverse is easier toperform. In addition, even the tipping up of the two separately formedattachments for a transport of the road finishing machine or the chargervehicle can be more easily performed, in a motor-driven or manual way,than in a case where the changeable attachment is integrally formed asan add-on piece.

According to one embodiment, the changeable attachment can be locked atthe traverse, in particular in the first and/or second orientation. Bythat, it may be ensured that during the material transfer process and/ora transport drive, the first pushing rollers will remain in thepredetermined position with respect to the chassis of the road finishingmachine or the charger vehicle.

According to one variation, the changeable attachment comprises at leastone stop abutting against the traverse of the pushing means when thechangeable attachment is oriented in such a way that it supports thefirst pushing rollers in the second position. Here, the stop may besecurely held at the traverse to mount the changeable attachmenthorizontally in view of a pivoted mounting of the changeable attachment.An additional locking in this position is not compulsory. However, itwould also be possible to have a thrust bearing formed at the traversewhere the stop collar of the changeable attachment can be additionallylocked.

As an alternative to the above described changeable attachment, theeffect according to the disclosure of pushing rollers of a pushing meansthat are optionally relocated further to the front could also beachieved by the pushing means comprising a further, second pair ofpushing rollers which may be mounted with respect to the first pushingrollers such that they may be positioned at the pushing means forward ofthe first pushing rollers. The second pushing rollers will then reach tothe rear tires of a truck used for the material transfer process havinga dump body projection protruding far to the rear.

Preferably, the pair of first pushing rollers may remain mounted to thepushing means independent of the adjusted position of the pair of secondpushing rollers. Still preferably, the pair of second pushing rollers isintegrally formed at the pushing means. The pair of second pushingrollers may thus be employed quickly as desired, in particular withouttools. This means that the second pushing rollers are mounted at thepushing means to be adjustable without tools between the positionspredetermined for them.

Preferably, the pushing means comprises at least one swivel mechanismwhich is designed to bring the pair of second pushing rollers to asecond position forward of the pair of first pushing rollers, as viewedin the direction of travel. Trucks having dump body projectionsprotruding to a large extent may then be pushed along in front of theroad finishing machine or the charger vehicle for the material transferprocess at a sufficiently great distance when the pushing means isdocking to the rear tires of the truck with its second pushing rollers.

In particular, the swivel mechanism is designed such that it may holdthe pair of second pushing rollers stationary with respect to thetraverse of the pushing means if the pair of second pushing rollers isdocking to the rear tires of the truck for a material transfer process.Thereby, the truck may be pushed along in front during the materialtransfer process with respect to a road finishing machine or chargervehicle pushing it at its rear tires at a predetermined constantdistance.

Preferably, the pair of second pushing rollers is mounted, when it istipped down by means of the swivel mechanism, in a rest position wherebythe other pair of first pushing rollers may be employed for a materialtransfer process, in a transport position in which the pair of secondpushing rollers is tipped up in the direction of the material bunker,and/or, for a material transfer process, in a second position forward ofthe first pushing rollers. A changeover between the respective positionsmay be quickly performed by means of the swivel mechanism.

A preferred development provides for the swivel mechanism to be lockableat the traverse if the pair of second pushing rollers is adjusted in thesecond position for the material transfer process. Thereby, the pair ofsecond pushing rollers may be particularly stationarily held withrespect to the traverse, while the pushing rollers abut against the reartires of the truck.

One advantageous development provides for the position of the secondpushing rollers to be adjustable with respect to the position of thefirst pushing rollers hydraulically, mechanically orelectromechanically. In particular, at least one hydraulic cylinder isprovided which is designed to actuate the swivel mechanism forpositioning the second pushing rollers.

Preferably, the pair of second pushing rollers is pivoted about abearing axis of the pair of first pushing rollers. Despite the use of afirst and a second pair of pushing rollers, a compact and stableassembly of the pushing means is possible thereby.

It is of assistance if the second pushing rollers can be adjusted from acontrol platform of the road finishing machine or the charger vehicle.Preferably, at least one hydraulic, electric and/or mechanical actuatoris provided to this end.

It is advantageous for the traverse to be fixed to a crossbeam of thechassis such that it is mounted tiltable about a predetermined tiltingangle with respect to the crossbeam, as viewed in a horizontal plane,together with the pushing rollers fixed thereto. Thereby, the pushingmeans is able to compensate a certain oblique orientation of a truckdocking to it backwards.

According to a preferred variation, the traverse may be fixed at thefront of the chassis, in particular continuously variably, in differentpositions along the direction of travel. The pushing means may thus befixed at different positions at the chassis of the road finishingmachine or the charger vehicle altogether as a module.

Preferably, the pushing means is mounted, as a module, to bemechanically, pneumatically and/or hydraulically dampened at the chassisof the road finishing machine or the charger vehicle. The damping effectis in particular achieved by at least one damping unit beingfunctionally arranged between the traverse of the pushing means and thecrossbeam of the chassis.

Embodiments according to the disclosure will be described more in detailbelow with reference to the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a road finishing machine for producing a paving layer froma laying material;

FIG. 2 shows a charger vehicle for supplying the road finishing machineshown in FIG. 1 with a laying material to be laid;

FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of a road finishing machine anda truck for a material transfer process;

FIG. 4 shows a pushing means without changeable attachment, shownseparately;

FIG. 5 shows a pushing means with a changeable attachment, shownseparately;

FIG. 6 shows the pushing means in a partially exploded view;

FIG. 7 shows the pushing means according to FIG. 5 with tipped uppushing rollers;

FIG. 8 shows a schematic diagram of a further pushing means with a pairof first and second pushing rollers;

FIG. 9 shows a pushing means according to FIG. 8 with optionallyemployable first and second pushing rollers;

FIG. 10 shows the pushing means according to FIG. 8 with tipped downsecond pushing rollers;

FIG. 11 shows a side view of the pushing means according to FIG. 8 withpreceding second pushing rollers in a state docked to the rear wheels ofa truck; and

FIG. 12 shows the pushing means according to FIG. 8 with first pushingrollers docked to rear wheels of the truck.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a road making machine in the form of a road finishingmachine 1 for producing a paving layer 2. The road finishing machine 1comprises a material bunker 4 in which laying material 3 for producingthe paving layer 2 is stored. The material bunker 4 is arranged on achassis 5 of the road finishing machine 1 at the front, as viewed in thedirection of travel F. The road finishing machine 1 furthermorecomprises a control platform 6 from where an operator may control theroad finishing machine 1. As viewed in the direction of travel F at therear of the road finishing machine 1, a movable screed 7 is arranged bywhich the road finishing machine 1 processes the laying material 3 intothe new paving layer 2. To this end, the laying material 3 stored at thefront in the material bunker 4 is transported to the rear against thedirection of travel F by means of a non-depicted longitudinal conveyingdevice, is spread in front of the screed 7 and finally compacted by thescreed 7 to form the new paving layer 2.

According to FIG. 1, the road finishing machine 1 comprises a runninggear 8 embodied as a tracklaying gear. Instead of the tracklaying gear,the running gear 8 could be equipped with a wheel drive. The runninggear 8 is fixed to the chassis 5 of the road finishing machine 1. Acrossbeam 9 is fixed at the front of the chassis 5, as viewed in thedirection of travel F. Forward of the crossbeam 9, a pushing means 10 ismounted. With the pushing means 10, the road finishing machine 1 docks,during a material transfer process, to the rear wheels of a materialsupply vehicle to push it in front of the road finishing machine 1 at apredetermined distance while the material supply vehicle is dumping thelaying material 3 into the material bunker 4.

FIG. 2 shows a charger vehicle 11 for supplying a road finishing machine1 shown according to FIG. 1. The charger vehicle 11 has a materialbunker 12 for storing the laying material 3. The charger vehicle 11furthermore has a material conveying device 13 which is embodied toreceive the laying material 3 from the material bunker 12 and totransfer it to a road finishing machine 1 according to FIG. 1 forlaying. To this end, the charger vehicle 11 is driving in front of theroad finishing machine 1 while the laying material 3 is conveyed fromthe material conveying device 13 into the material bunker 4 of the roadfinishing machine 1.

FIG. 2 furthermore shows that a pushing means 14 is mounted at thecharger vehicle 11 forward of the material bunker 12. The pushing means14 is fixed to a non-depicted crossbeam. Just as the pushing means 10 ofthe road finishing machine 1 of FIG. 1, the pushing means 14 of thecharger vehicle 11 is also embodied for docking to rear tires of amaterial supply vehicle to push the material supply vehicle in an idlestate during a material transfer process at a predetermined distance infront of the charger vehicle 11.

FIG. 3 schematically shows the road finishing machine 1 of FIG. 1 and atruck 15 positioned in front of it. The truck 15 has a dump body 16loaded with the laying material 3. During the material transfer process,the laying material 3 is dumped out of the dump body 16 of the truck 15into the material bunker 4 of the road finishing machine 1. The truck 15could also perform a comparable material transfer with a charger 11according to FIG. 2. If the pushing means 10 can dock to the rear tires17 of the truck 15 depends on how long a projection 18 of the dump body16 shown in FIG. 3 is.

In case the projection 18 projects too far to the rear beyond the reartires 17 of the truck 15, the truck 15 cannot dock to the pushing means10 with its rear tires 17 because this would possibly lead to acollision of the dump body 16 with the material bunker 4, 12 of the roadfinishing machine 1 or the charger 11. In such cases, the truck driverhas to steer the truck 15 himself during the material transfer processat a constant distance with respect to the following road finishingmachine 1 (or charger vehicle 11) in a controlled manner so that therewon't occur any collision of the dump body 16 with the material bunker4. However, this showed to be difficult in practice.

In the following FIGS. 4 to 12, the disclosure is illustrated withreference to the pushing means 10, 14, 10′, 14′ represented separatefrom the road finishing machine 1 or the charger vehicle 11.

FIG. 4 shows the pushing means 10, 14 with a pair of first pushingrollers 19 rotatably mounted at a traverse 20. The traverse 20 is fixedto the crossbeam 9. The pair of first pushing rollers 19 is mounted in afirst position P1 according to FIG. 4. The pushing rollers 19 mounted inthe first position P1 may dock to rear tires of a truck whose dump bodyprojection is short.

According to FIG. 5, the pushing means 10, 14 is expanded by achangeable attachment 21 that supports the pushing rollers 19 in asecond position P2 relocated further to the front with respect to theirfirst position P1 shown in FIG. 4. According to FIG. 5, a first bearingaxis L1, along which the first pushing rollers 19 are mounted in thefirst position P1, and a second bearing axis L2, along which the firstpushing rollers 19 are mounted in the second position P2, are arrangedoffset in parallel with respect to each other by a distance d. Thedistance d is, for example, 300 mm.

As an extension part, the changeable attachment 21 may carry the pair offirst pushing rollers 19 in the second position P2 moved to the front tosuch an extent that the pushing rollers 19 may dock at rear tires of atruck having a long dump body projection for a material transferprocess.

FIG. 5 furthermore shows that the changeable attachment 21 is mounted ina seat 24 of the traverse 20. For carrying the pushing rollers 19, thechangeable attachment 21 forms a roller seat 30 which is configuredcorresponding to the seat 24 of the traverse 20. The changeableattachment 21 is embodied in FIG. 5 in two parts of a first attachment22 and a second attachment 23. The two attachments 22, 23 may be hung,instead of the first pushing rollers 19, into a respective first andsecond seat 24 a, 24 b at the traverse 20.

FIG. 6 illustrates that the pushing means 10, 14 may be assembled as amodule optionally with or without changeable attachment 21, inparticular the pertaining attachments 22, 23.

FIG. 7 shows the pushing means 10, 14 with tipped up pushing rollers 19.The pushing rollers 19 are here mounted in a third position. To thisend, the respective attachments 22, 23 are mounted swiveled upwardsabout the bearing axis L1, with an inclined orientation towards thematerial bunker 4, and are supported in the third position P3 at thetraverse 20 for holding the pushing rollers 19. The pushing means 10, 14may be transferred to this setting for a transport of the road finishingmachine 1 or the charger vehicle 11.

FIG. 8 shows an alternative pushing means 10′, 14′ of the road finishingmachine 1 or the charger vehicle 11.

FIG. 8 shows, in a side view, the pushing means 10′, 14′ that comprisesa pair of first pushing rollers 19′ in a first position P1′ and afurther pair of second pushing rollers 25′ arranged in a second positionP2′ forward of the first pushing rollers 19′ by a distance d′. Accordingto FIG. 8, the second pushing rollers 25′ may be positioned in differentpositions by means of a swivel mechanism 26′. Besides the secondposition P2′ shown in FIG. 8, the pushing rollers 25′ may be mountedtipped up in a transport position P3′ for a transport of the roadfinishing machine 1 or the charger vehicle 11, respectively, or, if thepair of first pushing rollers 19′ is to be employed for the materialtransfer process, tipped down in a rest position P4′.

According to FIG. 8, the pair of second pushing rollers 25′ is pivotedabout a bearing axis 27′ of the first pushing rollers 19′. For dockingthe pushing means 10′, 14′ to rear tires 17 of a truck shown in FIG. 3,where the projection 18 of the dump body 16 is embodied to be long, theswivel mechanism 26′ supports the pair of second pushing rollers 25′ inthe second position P2′ shown in FIG. 8. The pair of first pushingrollers 19′ of the pushing means 10′, 14′ is selectively employed whenthe projection 18 of the truck 15 is short, so that the truck 15 may bepushed, during a material transfer process, closer to the road finishingmachine 1 or the charger vehicle 11 to pour the laying material 3 intothe material bunker 4, 12. In this case, the second pushing rollers 25′are held in the rest position P4′ by the swivel mechanism 26′.

FIG. 9 shows a perspective representation of the pushing means 10′, 14′described in connection with FIG. 8. According to FIG. 9, the pair ofsecond pushing rollers 25′ is mounted forward of the pair of firstpushing rollers 19′. The swivel mechanism 26′ holds the pair of secondpushing rollers 25′ aligned with the first pushing rollers 19′ in thesecond position P2′, as viewed in the horizontal plane of projection.The swivel mechanism 26′ is here adjustable by means of at least onehydraulic cylinder 28′ supported at the traverse 20′. Such a hydrauliccylinder 28′ may be provided on either side of the pushing means 10′,14′. Furthermore, FIG. 9 shows that the swivel mechanism 26′ may befixed to the traverse 20′ with a locking mechanism 29′ to position thesecond pushing rollers 25′ in the second position P2′.

FIG. 10 shows the pushing means 10′, 14′, wherein the pair of secondpushing rollers 25′ is transferred to the rest position P4′. Here, thepair of second pushing rollers 25′ is positioned, according to FIG. 8,underneath the pair of first pushing rollers 19′. In this setting, thepushing means 10′, 14′ may be employed for docking, by means of thefirst pushing rollers 19′, to rear tires 17 of a truck 15 shown in FIG.3 if the projection 18 of the dump body 16 has a short overlength. Thetruck 15 may then be pushed closer to the road finishing machine 1 orthe charger vehicle 11 so that the laying material 3 may be perfectlypoured from the dump body 16 into the material bunker 4, 12.

FIG. 11 shows the docking of the pushing means 10′, 14′ to rear tires 17of the truck 15 having a long dump body projection 18 a. In this case,the pair of second pushing rollers 25′ of the pushing means 10′, 14′ ismounted in the second position P2′ by means of the swivel mechanism 26′.In the second position P2′, the pair of second pushing rollers 25′ ispositioned forward of the pair of first pushing rollers 19′. The lockingmechanism 29′ fixes the swivel mechanism 26′ to the traverse 20′, sothat the second pushing rollers 25′ remain stationarily mounted in thesecond position P2′ with respect to the traverse 20′ during the materialtransfer.

FIG. 12 shows the pushing means 10′, 14′ with the pair of second pushingrollers 25′ in the rest position P4′. FIG. 12 furthermore shows thatnow, in contrast to FIG. 11, the pair of first pushing rollers 19′ isdocking to the rear tires 17 of the truck 15 to push forward the truck15 by means of the road finishing machine 1 or the charger vehicle 11during a material transfer process. This setting of the pushing means10′, 14′ is in particular employed if the truck 15 has a dump body 16with a short dump body projection 18 b.

The respective pushing means 10, 10′, 14, 14′ described in connectionwith FIGS. 4 to 12 may be employed at the road finishing machine 1according to FIG. 1 or at the charger vehicle 14 according to FIG. 2 todock to rear tires 17 of a preceding truck during a material transferprocess.

According to FIGS. 5 to 12, the changeable attachment 21 and the swivelmechanism 26′ are embodied in two parts and fixed to the traverse 20,20′. The features described above in connection with the changeableattachment 21 and the swivel mechanism 26′ may in particular beavailable for their respective segments (e.g., locking mechanism 29,29′).

Seen altogether, the respective pushing means 10, 10′, 14, 14′ areapplicable for material transfer processes with different truck modelsand may in particular prevent a collision to occur between the materialbunker 4, 12 and a dump body 16 of the truck 15.

While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended thatthese embodiments describe all possible forms according to thedisclosure. The words used in the specification are words of descriptionrather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may becombined to form further embodiments according to the disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A road making machine in the form of a roadfinishing machine for producing a paving layer from a laying material ora charger vehicle for supplying the road finishing machine with a layingmaterial to be laid, the road making machine comprising: a chassis; amaterial bunker for receiving the laying material arranged, as viewed ina direction of travel, at a front of the chassis; and a pushing meanswhich is fixed, as viewed in the direction of travel, forward of thematerial bunker at the chassis such that pushing rollers of the pushingmeans may dock to rear tires of a truck when the truck is pouring thelaying material into the material bunker, wherein the pushing rollerscomprise a pair of first pushing rollers which may be mounted in atleast one first position, with respect to a transverse member of thepushing means, in which the first pushing rollers are mounted in a seatof the transverse member, wherein the pushing means is expandable bymeans of at least one attachment to which the first pushing rollers maybe mounted in a second position further moved forward with respect tothe first position, as viewed in the direction of travel.
 2. The roadmaking machine according to claim 1 wherein the at least one attachmentmay be hung into the seat of the transverse member, instead of the firstpushing rollers.
 3. The road making machine according to claim 1 whereinthe at least one attachment comprises a roller seat for receiving thefirst pushing rollers.
 4. The road making machine according to claim 1wherein the at least one attachment may be pivoted in the seat of thetransverse member.
 5. The road making machine according to claim 1wherein the at least one attachment positions the first pushing rollersin the second position further to the front by a predetermined distance,as viewed in the horizontal plane of projection and in the direction oftravel, than in a case where the first pushing rollers are mounted inthe first position in the seat of the transverse member.
 6. The roadmaking machine according to claim 1 wherein the at least one attachmentcomprises a first attachment and a second attachment that may be placedat the transverse member one next to the other.
 7. The road makingmachine according to claim 1 wherein the at least one attachment may belocked at the transverse member.
 8. The road making machine according toclaim 1 wherein the transverse member is fixed to a crossbeam of thechassis to permit a certain inclination of the transverse member withrespect to the crossbeam.
 9. The road making machine according to claim1 wherein the transverse member may be fixed in different forwardpositions with respect to the chassis.
 10. The road making machineaccording to claim 1 wherein the pushing means is mounted at the chassisof the road finishing machine or the charger vehicle to be dampenedmechanically, pneumatically and/or hydraulically.
 11. The road makingmachine according to claim 1 wherein the at least one attachment isremovably mountable with respect to the transverse member.
 12. A roadmaking machine in the form of a road finishing machine for producing apaving layer from a laying material or a charger vehicle for supplyingthe road finishing machine with a laying material to be laid, the roadmaking machine comprising: a chassis; a material bunker for receivingthe laying material arranged, as viewed in a direction of travel, at afront of the chassis; and a pushing means mounted at the chassis so thatthe pushing means extends forward of the material bunker as viewed inthe direction of travel, the pushing means including a transverse memberand pushing rollers associated with the transverse member and configuredto dock to rear tires of a truck when the truck is pouring the layingmaterial into the material bunker, wherein the pushing rollers comprisea pair of first pushing rollers which may be mounted in a first positionin which the first pushing rollers are positioned in a seat of thetransverse member, wherein the pushing means is expandable by at leastone attachment to which the first pushing rollers may be mounted in asecond position further forward with respect to the first position, asviewed in the direction of travel.
 13. The road making machine accordingto claim 12 wherein the at least one attachment is removably mountablewith respect to the transverse member.